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1999-10-12 Parks and Rec Comm MinutesCITY OF MENDOTA HEIGHTS DAKOTA COUNTY, MINNESOTA PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION MINUTES OCTOBER 12, 1999 The regular meeting of the Mendota Heights Parks and Recreation Commission was held on Tuesday, October 12, 1999, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1101 Victoria Curve. The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. The following Commissioners were present: Chair Spicer and Commissioners Linnell, Libra, Conelly, and Craighead. Commissioners Damberg and Liberacki arrived late. City Staff present were Parks Project Manager Guy Kullander, Recreation Programmer Mary Hapka, and Administrative Assistant Patrick C. Hollister. Mr. Hollister took the minutes. MINUTES Commissioner Linnell moved to approve the September 14, 1999 minutes with revisions. Commissioner Damberg seconded the motion. AYES: 4 NAYS: 0 Commissioners Damberg and Liberacki arrived at this point. Mr. Dave Stegink of 2285 Field Stone Drive appeared before the Parks and Recreation Commission with a sample of Sumac. Mr. Stegink said that the Copperfield Pond area near the trail was being overrun with the plant and that the Sumac could endanger other species. Mr. Stegink said that he had three questions for the Parks and Recreation Commission: 1. Would the City remove all or at least some of the Sumac? 2. If not, would the City allow resident volunteers to remove all or some of the Sumac? 3. If the residents could remove the Sumac, would the City pick up the wood? Staff made several points during the discussion: 1. The public works crew may object that they do not have sufficient time to thin out the Sumac. 2. Some residents around the pond area may object to the removal of the sumac, and thus the neighbors should be notified in advance. 3. If the sumac is removed in time, it could be used for the Halloween Bonfire, but even if it is not removed in time, storage of the plant material is not really a problem for public works. Commissioner Linnell moved to recommend that resident volunteers be allowed to selectively remove Sumac from the trail area of Copperfield pond for the purpose of protecting young native trees, using hand tools. Commissioner Linnell further moved that the neighbors around Copperfield Pond be given proper notification of the intent to thin out the Sumac, and that some signage method be devised to inform the residents where sumac should or should not be removed. AYES: 7 NAYS: 0 GERALD JOHNSON, DNR: ROGERS LAKE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES Mr. Gerald Johnson of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources introduced himself and said that he would like to talk to the Commission about opportunities for a fishing pier and aeration at Rogers Lake. Mr. Johnson said that this summer he had received many calls about the good quality of fishing at Rogers Lake and that citizens were concerned about the impact of winter kill. Mr. Pat Hickey, 7101 Swan Drive, said that people had been catching a lot of black crappies and sunfish at the lake this year. Commissioner Damberg asked why the fishing was so good this year as opposed to previous years. Mr. Johnson said that because of the periodic winter kill in the lake, this summer there were fewer fish and hence they had less competition for food and could grow larger. Mr. Hollister asked if the fertilizer or pesticide chemicals, which some people used on their lawns, would render the fish unsuitable for eating. Mr. Johnson said that lawn chemicals, while undesirable for other environmental considerations, did not pose any health concern for people eating fish from the lake. Chair Spicer asked if there were any downsides to installing an aerator system from the City's point of view. Mr. Johnson said that maintenance of the aeration system was light but did involve some manpower, and that some cities were concerned about liability. Mr. Johnson then showed slides demonstrating different types of aeration systems. Mr. Johnson said that the most likely location for an aerator on Rogers Lake would be at or near Rogers Park because of easy access for maintenance and proximity to a power supply. 2 Mr. Craighead asked why the aerator shouldn't be in the deepest part of the lake were the fish usually congregate. Mr. Johnson said that the purpose of the aeration system was not to aerate the entire lake, but merely to provide a "refuge" where the fish can come to get oxygen. Mr. Johnson said that fish are very aware of where there is the most oxygen in a lake. Mr. Johnson added that during the winter, even if the aerator is in a part of the lake where fish are not normally found, they will move to that part of the lake as soon as more oxygen is available. Mr. Johnson also said that the DNR gives priority to lakes that have adequate parking and handicapped accessibility, and that he thought Mendota Heights had a good chance of getting both a fishing pier and an aeration system for Rogers Lake. Commissioner Liberacki moved to recommend that the Council apply for the installation of a DNR fishing pier, using the Special Parks Fund to build the trail to the pier, without offering a monetary contribution for the fishing pier at this time. Commissioner Libra seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 ABSTENTIONS: 1 (Linnell) Commissioner Linnell explained that he abstained from the vote because he works for the Minnesota DNR and that while he did not think he had any conflict of interest in this matter, he wanted to avoid any misperceptions to that effect. Commissioner Damberg moved to recommend that the Council request a temporary aerator this winter from the DNR for Rogers Lake, observe its effectiveness, and decide in the spring whether or not to pursue a peimanent aeration system for the lake, with appropriate notification to and input from the neighbors around Rogers Lake and an announcement in the City newsletter if possible. Commissioner Liberacki seconded the motion. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 ABSTENTIONS: 1 (Linnell) COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVIEW AND COMMENTS The Commission made suggestions for revisions to the draft Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Hollister said that these proposed revisions would be presented to the Council before final approval of the Comprehensive Plan. 3 UPDATES Mr. Hollister and Ms. Hapka provided updates on the following items: • Recreation Programmer's Update o Parks Report • Police Report OTHER ITEMS Chair Spicer suggested that Staff look into applying for a grant from the Minnesota Twins for youth ball field renovation. Chair Spicer also suggested that Staff look into cameras in the parks for bathroom facility security against vandalism. ADJOURN Motion made to adjourn by Linnell and seconded by Spicer. AYES: 6 NAYS: 0 The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Patrick C. Hollister 4